Banning Man Arrested at Palm Springs Airport for Possession of Loaded Gun

(Image shows Jody Wayne Noel, left, and Anthony Wayne Lomas, right. Courtesy: PSPD)

Two men in their 20s trying to rent a vehicle at Palm Springs International Airport were arrested for suspicion of gun possession, a police spokesman said Wednesday.

Police went to the airport about 4:10 p.m. Tuesday in response to a report that two men trying to rent a vehicle may have had a gun.

Officers contacted Anthony Wayne Lomas, 21, of Banning and 24-year-old Jody Wayne Noel of Cathedral City inside the terminal near the car rental agencies, and the men ran, Palm Springs police Sgt. Harvey Reed said.

Officers chased them, and arrested Noel, who had a loaded handgun. A witness saw Lomas -- who ran north on El Cielo Road -- throw a handgun into some bushes. He was arrested in the area, and a handgun -- which police discovered was stolen -- was found in a bush, Reed said.

“The investigation revealed that neither Lomas or Noel were passengers on an arriving flight or scheduled on a departing flight from the airport,” he said. “Officers determined both individuals were at the airport for the sole purpose of renting a vehicle.”

Both men were booked at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. Lomas was released on a $25,000 bond Wednesday, and Noel was being held in lieu of $5,000 bail, according to jail records.

— City News Service.